A couple of recent PGA Tour winners who happen to be New England natives have circled Boston on their 2011 calendars — and not just because The Hub is the home of the upcoming Deutsche Bank Championship. Specifically, Keegan Bradley of Woodstock, Vt., and Scott Stallings from Worcester, Mass., have lifted three trophies between them in the past three and a half months — including the Wanamaker hardware Bradley won at last week’s PGA Championship — and each looks forward to going home to play the Deutsche Bank over Labor Day weekend.
But, while the second leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs is a definite lure for both young sluggers, the on-course competitors are also vying for the greatest honor a Boston sports fan can achieve: throwing out the first pitch at Fenway Park.
“We were actually joking… on the range [at Atlanta Athletic Club, site of the PGA Championship] on Thursday about the opportunity to throw out the first pitch at one of the Red Sox games together, just both of us being diehard Red Sox fans,” Stallings said during a Wednesday conference call with reporters. “I think I got booted after his performance last week…he’s very, very deserving of it.”
Whether Stallings gets to toe the mound at Fenway or not — Red Sox spokespersons did not return calls — the winner of last month’s Greenbrier Classic has looked forward to playing at TPC Boston in Norton all season.
“Being born around the Boston area, born in Worcester, and family all through the New England coast, it’s kind of something that we’ve circled on the schedule and definitely something we look forward to being a part of through the year,” Stallings said. “Once I won, I knew I was secure through most of the playoffs and I was going to have an opportunity to play there, that something I was ecstatic about to be there. I love Boston, I like the golf course; I love the fact that the Yankees are going to be in town that week.
“And so I had the opportunity to get to go out there and play in front of a bunch of family who don’t get a chance to see me play very often,” said the 26-year-old, who now makes Tennessee his home. “So looking forward to a great week.”
Stallings had yet to play the TPC Boston course but was confident he would be familiar with it before his September 2 tee time.
“I’ll play both Pro?Ams [on Tuesday and Thursday] of that week,” he said, “and will have plenty of opportunities to play the course before the tournament starts.”
At No. 30 in FedEx Cup points and safely within the top 125 players eligible for the playoffs, Stallings looked forward to a long run in the four events that ends with the winner cashing a check for id=”mce_marker”0 million.
“Working towards playing New Jersey next week and then obviously Boston and working towards Chicago and hopefully Atlanta is something that you thrive upon,” Stallings said. “If you can’t get excited to play in those, then you’re probably doing the wrong thing.”
Bradley — who’s been making the rounds with the Wanamaker Trophy much as his beloved Boston Bruins have done with their championship Stanley Cup — and Stallings both opted to skip this week’s Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C.
“Getting ready for the playoffs and taking care of a few things before the playoffs begin,” Stallings said.
(Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. Check her out on the Waggle Room, Boston Golf Examiner, National Golf Examiner, and GottaGoGolf websites. You may also follow Kay on Twitter @golfexaminer.)
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